Sheet feeding mechanism and method for operating the same



y .J. cRoNsHAw 2,290,865

snms'r FEEDING uncngmsm AND unmon FOR ormmvrme THE SAME Filed Hayes;1941 FIG 2.

' FIG04;

AT TORNEYS INVENTOR.

larly pointed out in Patented July. 28, 1942 SHEET MECHANISM AND METHODFOR OPERATING THE SAME John Cronshaw, Brooklyn, N. Y., asslgnor to E. W.Bliss Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationMay 23, 1941, Serial No. 394,873

Claims.

The present invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism as used in abody maker of a can making line andis more particularly concerned with adevice for receiving the shock of the incoming body blanks, which aretaken into the 1 machine from a feed-in mechanism at a high rate ofspeed. By my improved device extensions of the body blanks which lateron form the tongue to be engaged by a key opener are protected againstthe impact of the delivery thrust, whereby loss of material, whichhitherto oc-,

"curred, due to bending or of this tongue, is avoided.

In a body maker of the type described, sheets are delivered, stacked upin piles in a magazine,

the rate of delivery being about 100 per minute.

' In the forming of blanks as practiced heretofore the blank, when beingfed in, was thrust against the frame of the machine in a way that causedthe extension or tongue which arrived there foremost, to bear the wholeimpact. As a consequence thereof many of these tongues were bent orbroken, the whole blank becoming damaged thereby.

The present invention overcomes this draw-.

back by providing a special arrangement for the protection of this mostexposed part of the blank. In order to prevent the protruding tonguefrom being thrust against the side wall of the machine, a member of aparticular shape is interposed at the part of the body maker where theblank is fed in between the wall and the incoming blank. This member,which extends over the 7 base plate of the body maker for the, greaterpart of its length. receives the impact of the blank as a whole, whereasthe end portion of said member extends upward at an angle with the baseplate, leaving a free space or clearance for the tongue of the blanktoslip in free of impact.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particutheclaims; the annexed forth in'detail certain mechanism embodying theinvention, such disclosed means constituting, howeveabut one of variousmechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the body maker;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts of the machine forming the invention;

Fig. 3 shows the same parts inside elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, 5 is the frame of a sheet feeding mechanism throughwhich a pile of blanks I are fed in a known manner over a transfermechanism I to the bed plate I of the station from which the blanks arestarted .on their way through the body maker and which will be hereaftercalled the starting station. The blanks,

one of which is shown at 9, are moved on a rack ll successively past thenotching, hook-forming and bumping stations respectively, all of whichdo not form any part of this invention and are, therefore, not includedin the following description.

Bed plate 8 is carried by a frame I I with standards i2, it. On bed 8 aframe I5 is located, consisting of three plates I6, l4" and 30, bestseen in Fig. 4. Plate It carries two bars H which serve for receivingthe blanks at the starting station. Fingers ll, ll on these bars,capable of reciprocating movement, pick up the blanks and feed themthrough the machine to the several working stations as set forth above.

The plate ll extending in a plane perpendicular to the other two plates,forms the side wall of the starting station. The third plate 30, havinga slot ll, is secured to the machine frame by a bolt 32. The connectionis slidable in a horizontal plane and makes it possible to adjust thesize of the starting station in accordance with the blanks undertreatment in a manner known of the sides, 4, extending for its entirelength over plate It. The second side, b, forms an angle with the planeof plate It, thus leaving a clear space for the tongue 2! to slide inwhen'the blank is fed into the starting station. At the other side oflever, ll a'sprlng 22 is mounted drawing and the following descriptionsetting between pins 23 and 24 secured to the lever and the side wallrespectively, which holds down the lever in its normal position aboveplate I! and returns it to the same if it is removed by action of thetongue as set forth below. A stop 25 is been started the blanks are fedfrom the pile i one at a time over transfer mechanism I to the startingstation and are received on bars I]. The

main body of the blank 9 is thrust against the lever l9, which is in theposition shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, whereas the tongue 29 slidesinto the clearance provided by the receding shape of lever l9, notmeeting any resistance at all. Immediately after the blank has come in,fingers l8 push it forward in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig.3. As the blank moves'forward tongue 29 bears against the lever liftingit from its shown position and sliding through underneath side a of thelever, the spring 22 being compressed while it moves on, until the blankhas passed fingers l8a. As soon as the tongue ceases to travel along thelever, spring 22 is free to press the lever down again, thus returningthe same into the former position on stop 25. Meanwhile the next blankis in position for being fed by the action of fingers l8, while at thesame time fingers l8a push the first blank through the body makerproper.

While I have shown the shock receiving member in the form of a lever ofsubstantially triangular shape it will be understood that I do not wantto be limited to that particular embodiment of my invention. Anystructure equivalent to the lever shown in the drawing, viz., any memberreceiving the'impact of the blank as a whole while leaving a clearancefor the tongue, is within the spirit of the invention and'the scope ofthe appended claims.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a can-body maker in combination, a feedin means for body blanks,means for delivering the body blanks to the starting station, means forfeeding the body blanks through the body maker proper, a shock receivingdevice in said starting station, said shock receiving device comprisinga member having an elongated portion for receiving the main portion ofthe body blanks,

and an angle portion to provide a clearance for a protruding tongue onsaid body blanks.

2. In a can-body maker in combination, a feedin means for body blanks,means for delivering the body blanks to the starting station. means forfeeding the body blanks through the body maker proper, a shock receivingmeans in said starting station, said shock-receiving means comprising anelongated body portion and an end maker proper, a shock receiving meansin said starting station, said shock receiving means comprising anelongated member of substantially triangular shape which is pivotallymounted in a side wall at said starting station, one side of saidtriangle extending over the base plate of the starting station andanother side enclosing an angle with said base plate whereby aclearanceis said base plate whereby a clearance is formed to receive a protrudingtongue of said body blank, and elastic means for holding down saidmember on said base plate. I

5. In a can-body maker in combination, a feedin means for body blanks,means for delivering the body blanks to the starting station, means forfeeding the body blanks through the body maker proper, a shock receivingmeans in said starting statiomsaid shock receiving means comprising asubstantially triangular'meniber which is at one angle pivotally mountedon a side wall in said starting station and at another angle controlledby a spring, said spring being mounted on said side wall, the thirdangle having one of its sides extending over the base plate of saidstarting station and the other side extending upwards whereby clearanceis left for a tongue-shaped portion of said body blank.

6. In a can-body maker in combination, a feedin means for body blanks,means for delivering the body blanks to the starting station, means forfeeding the bodyblanks through the body maker proper, a shock receivingmeans in said starting station, said shock receiving means comprising asubstantially triangular member which is at one angle pivotally mountedon a side frame in said starting station and at another angle portion,said body portion extending overthe base plate of said starting stationand the end controlled by a spring, said spring being mounted on saidside frame, the third angle having one of its sides extending over thebase plate of said starting station and the other side extending 4upwards whereby a clearance is left for a tongueshaped portion of saidbody blank, and means for horizontally adjusting said side frame inaccordance with different sizes of said body blanks. I 7. In a method offeedingbody blanks through a can-body maker by deliveringthe blanks to astarting station and feeding them from there through the body makerproper, the steps of receiving the main body of the blanks by a shockreceiving member arranged in the starting station, allowinga tongueformed on said blanks to glide into a clearance adjacent to said 'shockreceiving member, lifting said'member by means of said tongue whileadvancing said blanks through the starting station andthereafter'returning said member into normal position by steps ofreceiving the main body of the blanks by a shock receiving memberarranged in the starting station thereby stopping the travel of theblanks in the direction of arrival, allowing a tongue formed on saidblanksto glide into a clearance adjacent to said shock receiving member,lifting said member by means of said tongue thereby clearing the pathfor the travel of the blanks in said other direction while advancingsaid blanks through the starting station and thereafter returning saidmember into normal position by elastic means.

9. In a'method for feeding body blanks through a can-body maker bydelivering the blanks to a starting station and feeding them from therethrough the body maker proper, the steps of receiving the main body ofthe blanks by a pivotally mounted lever arranged in the starting stationin front of the side wall thereof, allowing a tongue formed on saidblanks to glide into ing said lever by means of said tongue whileadvancing said blanks through the starting station and thereafterreturning said lever into normal position by elastic means.

10. In a method for feeding body blanks through a can-body maker bydelivering the blanks to a starting station and feeding them from therethrough the body maker proper, the steps or receiving the main body ofthe blanks by a lever pivotally mounted on the side wall 'of saidstarting station, allowing a tongue formed on said blanks to glide intoa clearance adjacent to said lever, lifting said member by means of saidtongue while advancing said blanks through vthe starting station andwhile simultaneously compressing a spring mounted 'in said side wall andreturning said lever into normal position by action of said spring. JOHNCRONSHAW.

a clearance adjacent to said pivoted lever, lift-

